When Our Prayers Are Placed In The Context Of A Thoughtful Consideration Of God’s Words Effective Results Will Be Produced Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16) The Prayers Of The Righteous - https://youtube/watch?v=iJacw-bBjl8 There are many of us who continue to wonder why our prayers are not effective? Why does it seem as if God is not answering our prayers? If there something wrong with our request or is He just being silent? The writer of the lesson pointing to James 5:15 provide some insight on how our prayer can be more effective and produce the desired results. Reflect carefully on the words of the Apostle James. He said in verse 16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Is James suggesting that before our prayers can be effective there must be confession of our faults? In Ps. 66:18 David said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” This text clearly states that if we have iniquity in our heart our prayers will not be effective and will not produce the desired results. So clearly the confession of faults plays an important role is allowing God to at least hear our prayers. James then alludes to the fact that the person who is praying must be righteous before their prayers will be effective. In this passage of scripture James was alluding to the time when Elijah prayed earnestly for the rain to fall and it did. Elijah was a righteous man because he spent a lot of time in the presence of the Lord. He spent a lot of time talking with the Lord and studying His words. Elijah received the imputed righteousness of Christ in faithful obedience to the words of the Lord. If we want our prayers to be effective, we must surrender our entire life to the total control of the Holy Spirit so that God can complete His work of imparting righteousness to us. The writer of the lesson also alluded to the fact that we must present our prayers in light of God’s words. In other words, we must study to show ourselves approved.. a workman that needth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Through a thorough study of the word of God we will become better acquainted with God. We will have a closer walk with Him and therefore this will help us to pray in the will of God. My friend; God wants to answer our prayers. Let us endeavor to continue to surrender ourselves to the Lord so that He can continue to lead us into the path of righteousness. The fear of God was daily growing less in Israel. The blasphemous tokens of their blind idolatry were to be seen among the Israel of God. There were none who dared to expose their lives by openly standing forth in opposition to the prevailing blasphemous idolatry. The altars of Baal, and the priests of Baal who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars, were conspicuous everywhere. They had consecrated temples and groves, wherein was placed the work of mens hands to worship. The benefits which God gave to this people called forth from them no gratitude to the Giver. For all the bounties of Heaven, the running brooks, and streams of living waters, the gentle dew, and showers of rain to refresh the earth, and to cause their fields to bring forth abundantly, they ascribed to the favor of their gods. Elijahs faithful soul was grieved. His indignation was aroused, and he was jealous for the glory of God. He saw that Israel was plunged into fearful apostasy. He was overwhelmed with amazement and grief at the apostasy of the people when he called to mind the great things that God had wrought for them. But all this was forgotten by the majority of the people. He went before God, and with his soul wrung with anguish, plead for him to save his people if it must be by judgments. He plead with God to withhold from his ungrateful people dew and rain, the treasures of heaven, that apostate Israel might look in vain to their idols of gold, wood, and stone, the sun, moon, and stars, their gods, to water the earth and enrich it, and cause it to bring forth plentifully. God told Elijah he had heard his prayer. He would withhold from his people dew and rain, until they should turn unto him with repentance. (Review and Herald, September 16, 1873 – Ellen G. White) Through the long years of drought and famine, Elijah prayed earnestly that the hearts of Israel might be turned from idolatry to allegiance to God. Patiently the prophet waited, while the hand of the Lord rested heavily on the stricken land. As he saw evidences of suffering and want multiplying on every side, his heart was wrung with sorrow, and he longed for power to bring about a reformation quickly. But God Himself was working out His plan, and all that His servant could do was to pray on in faith and await the time for decided action. (Prayer, 135 – Ellen G. White) When [Elijah] had bidden Ahab go up and eat and drink, did he have an evidence that the showers were about to fall? Did he see the clouds in the heavens? Did he see the rain, or hear the thunder?--No; he spoke these words because the Spirit of the Lord moved upon his mind, and led him to believe that his prayer would be heard. He had done all that was possible to make manifest his faith, and now he began to pray for the outpouring of the abundance of rain. He said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a mans hand. And the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. (Review and Herald, May 26, 1891 – Ellen G. White) It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel. As he prayed, his faith reached out and grasped the promises of heaven; and he persevered in prayer until his petitions were answered. He did not wait for the full evidence that God had heard him, but was willing to venture all on the slightest token of his favor. (Review and Herald, October 2, 1913 – Ellen G. White)
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:25:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015